Green Initiative
by Some Moron
Summary: As much as it pained her to think about it, the little moron had just promised to do anything in exchange for her life. And that made her wonder just how far "anything" could be pushed. Ayano x Midori yuri.
1. Such a Drama Queen

**That's right: I have returned. After multiple years of no updates and no new fics, I bring you this glorious (meh) tale of love and murder. First, a quick note. If you came here from an Author Alert, spotting my name and expecting comedy from the Harry Potter universe, you're going to be disappointed, if not outright horrified. There will be a few funny moments in this fanfiction, but that definitely isn't the focus.**

 **Disclaimer 1: If you are bothered or offended by violence, blood and gore, or sexualization of innocent anime schoolgirls… then why on earth are you playing Yandere Simulator!? Also, this fic has that stuff. So that's a thing.**

 **Disclaimer 2: If I met Midori Gurin in real life, I would give her a hug. This effectively proves that I am not YandereDev, and thus I do not own the rights to the fictitious universe in which this fanfic takes place.**

 **This story will consist of four chapters, which will be uploaded at roughly regular intervals. All four chapters are buffered now, so writer's block cannot threaten this story. So without further ado, we shall begin the tale.**

 _Fear_.

There was no other emotion quite so prevalent at Akademi High School. Paranoia was at an all-time high, with students constantly checking behind their shoulders and jumping at the slightest sound. The Martial Arts Club sparred harder than ever before, while the Cooking Club warily eyed their set of knives. Even the faculty feared for their students – although, as role models, they hadn't the luxury of huddling together in a back room.

If the last two weeks were any indication, there was a serial killer loose on campus. The oldest of the staff shuddered to think that history could be repeating itself. In 1989, a seemingly innocent schoolgirl had murdered another girl out of jealousy. Not only did she manipulate the court system to escape scot-free, she made a laughingstock of Japan's police force, who swore never again to touch Akademi with a 3.048-meter pole.

Yet this year was worse. Two innocent girls had already been found brutally murdered. If that wasn't disturbing enough, this killer had proved clever. So far, no evidence had been dropped, and investigators had no leads. The serial killer still wandered the halls of the school, and as long as this continued, no girl was safe.

This year's first victim was Osana Najimi, known for her bright orange eyes, twin-tails, and attitude problem. Her favorite word being "baka," it seemed as if her life's goal was to be the most stereotypical tsundere she could. Info-chan, the school's queen of surveillance, was said to hate her with a passion, but this was never really confirmed.

Her death hit Taro Yamada, a longtime friend, the hardest. He was inconsolable when she was found dead, and had only started to recover by the next week. But rather than let him suffer alone, someone had come to his side – the Cooking Club president, Amai Odayaka. Amai was one of the sweetest girls around, wanting nothing more than for Taro to be happy again.

And then she, too, met a violent and undeserving end.

At that point, Taro was sent home for an extended weekend. His parents and his sister tried to comfort him, but only time could seal the holes in his heart. Not even his favorite hentai could cheer him up. When he returned halfway through the week, he would take just about anything to ease the pain. So when he was invited to see a production by the Drama Club before lunch on Friday, he accepted immediately.

Kizana Sunobu, purple-haired president of the club, played the mother in a short play about a vacationing family. Taro found himself laughing for the first time in a couple of weeks over her over-dramatized reaction to the kids forgetting their luggage at home. After it was over, he headed up front to congratulate Kizana on her performance. Deep down inside, he had to admit he liked her, even if she did have an ego.

"Oh!" She blushed a little. "Thank you, Senpai."

"Don't mention it. That was just really good."

The actress found it hard to look away. There was something about Taro-senpai that was simply irresistible, as if he held an aura meant to attract her.

"Maybe you'd like to come back sometime?" Kizana blushed harder. "We could be in a play together. Like... _Romeo and Juliet_."

"Um..." Taro chuckled a little. "Well- maybe sometime. I think I better get lunch." He couldn't deny that he found her pretty hot, but romance wasn't on his mind now. How could it, after the murder of two of the girls for whom he'd really felt something?

Back in the club room, Kizana and company stowed the remainder of the props and folded up the studio chairs. She was on the way out into the hall when she recalled that she left her phone in the pocket of her costume. "Forgot my phone," she mentioned to her subordinates. "Go on ahead, I can take care of myself." Surely she could, after all – who would mess with Kizana Sunobu? The brilliant leader, skilled actress, and totally attrac-

"Uh... excuse me?"

The purple-haired girl jumped a little, and turned to face the noise. Standing in the doorway was a petite black-haired young woman of about the same age. She wore a face of uncertainty and a bit of anxiety.

"Yeah? What?"

The girl bit her lip a little. "I hoped maybe we could talk... you see, I was thinking of maybe joining your club."

Kizana placed her hands on her hips, somewhat unimpressed. "You think you've got what it takes to be in _drama_?"

"Well, I don't know much about acting- but I think I could learn," replied the shy girl. "And I wouldn't know of any better teacher, since you're so awesome at it!"

 _Sigh_. Of course she had to hit a nerve in just the right place. How could she turn her down, when she had clearly accepted Kizana's brilliant skill and beauty? "Fine," she said. "What's your name, anyhow?"

"Aishi," said the dark-haired girl. "Ayano Aishi. Maybe we could take a walk? I concentrate better that way, and it would be safer than being alone, anyway."

Purple-Twin-Drills had to agree. And it wasn't like Ayano posed any threat. If the newcomer proved dangerous, Kizana could crush the little schoolgirl like a bug if she had to; she was sure of it. She left the room with her new acquaintance as she wandered towards the stairs. Along the way, the two girls discussed drama, acting, and how perfect Kizana was.

In no time at all, they had reached the rooftop. Usually, a handful of students hung out there during lunch. This week, however, the ongoing threat of murder had most of them seeking the refuge of the courtyard.

"So that would probably help, at least with speaking lines," Kizana continued from their stairwell discussion. "Close your eyes and imagine yourself in your character's shoes. You just have to remember to keep them open during a real performance. Otherwise you'll look like an idiot."

Ayano nodded in agreement as she glanced around. A quick inspection of the area seemed to confirm that there were no students or faculty hanging out on the roof that early afternoon.

And no witnesses.

Kizana's eyes were still closed as she demonstrated the technique, but they snapped open quickly as Ayano grabbed her forcefully by one of her twin drills and slammed her against the wall. Kizana cried out in pain and confusion, and the smaller girl blocked her mouth with a hand. With her other hand, she drew a dagger. If the Drama Club president were less panicked, she'd have wondered where she had managed to hide that knife.

"Stay away from my Senpai," growled the black-haired girl, her voice low and cracking as though she were on the brink of insanity.

"Taro Yamada is _mine_ – and YOU-" - she plunged the knife between the purple-haired girl's shoulder blades...

"- may NOT-" - she jammed it deep into Kizana's lower rib cage...

"- HAVE HIM!" Ayano grabbed her victim's arm, whirled her around, and tore open her heart with a final stab. This time tomorrow, the Drama Club would be disbanded, its leader now collapsing to the floor in a rapidly expanding pool of her own blood, clinging to her last breath as she desperately tried to plead for help.

Her attempts were futile; with the blood flow sharply cut off from her brain, she was dead in moments. Ayano Aishi stepped away, glancing down at her. _Three down_ , she thought. _Who else will stand in the way of me and my Senpai?_ Right now, it didn't matter – the most important order of business was to eliminate the evidence. Where was that washing station? She glanced up, recalling it to be close to a nearby bench. What she saw nearly stopped her own heart.

Standing before her, a look of horror across her face, was the green-haired first year student, Midori Gurin.


	2. Keep a Clean Work Area

**Well, I see that at least a few people have subscribed. Thanks, guys! Thanks also to** **Zuzanna295 for reviewing. I always love reviews, hint hint. Anyway, enjoy Chapter the Second.**

"Midori..."

Ayano advanced on the younger girl with a murderous fury in her eyes. Midori started to back away, regaining enough of her senses to realize she wasn't going to escape alive if she didn't work for it. She turned on her heel and began to run for her life. Her heartbeat shot up to record levels as she heard the older girl's footfalls gaining on her. Straight ahead was the door that would lead her to safety.

 _Please_ , she silently prayed. _I have to reach that door..._

The girl's hand closed over the door handle, and for one brief moment she thought she would be free. She turned the handle, still charging forward. Her body slammed into an unmoving door.

As the yandere grabbed her sailor collar and pulled her around to face her killer, the realization hit Midori. _The door opens outwards..._ Her soft, quivering green eyes first met the shiny glint of the blood-soaked knife, then the darker eyes of her bringer of death. She shrunk against the door, a tear already dripping down her cheek.

"No!" she begged. "I-I swear I won't tell anyone!"

Ayano tightly gripped her knifu, holding it up just inches from the green-haired girl's neck. Her eyes narrowed. "Give me _one_ good reason I should let you live," she growled. What good was she, anyway? Unable to take simple instructions, constantly asking brain-dead questions, nearly always missing lessons, not to mention the obsessive dependence on her e-mail apps. Half of the psycho's mind wanted to get the problem solved quickly and silently, and half was considering what dagger techniques would make the little schoolgirl scream the loudest.

"I p-promise!" Midori pleaded, choking on the lump in her throat. "I'll do anything you say!"

 _As if there was anything you could do for me_ , thought Ayano, drawing back her knife to make that ultimate strike that would rip her to shreds. She'd stick with the neck, perhaps. But a stab wasn't good enough – perhaps if she dragged the knife slowly downwards...

And then, a thought hit her. Not a thought she appreciated, but to ignore it would be suicidal for her cause. She was on the top floor of a school packed full of students, wearing a uniform covered in Kizana's – and soon, Midori's – blood, and now she would have _two_ corpses to deal with. As much as it pained her to think about it, the little moron had just promised to do _anything_ in exchange for her life. And that made her wonder just how far "anything" could be pushed.

Ayano slowly lowered her knife. "All right," she said through gritted teeth. "I will spare you _IF_ you will help me get my Senpai. And you'll have to help me get out of this mess."

"Your... your Senpai?"

The yandere leaned in closer. "Taro Yamada. The love of my life. He's my future boyfriend – he just doesn't know it yet. I can't – I _won't_ – let any other woman stand in my way. Just thinking about the life I could have with him..."

It was the strangest feeling that had ever come over Ayano. For the first time in her life, her deepest thoughts and feelings burst to the surface for the only person who would listen. Somehow, she trusted her captive to keep it a secret, perhaps knowing what would happen to her if she ever dared speak of it.

"My mother met my father the same way. She, too, had to take down her enemies for him. She had to kill, destroy, and manipulate, to gain the happy life she has with him today. And now, it's my turn with Taro-senpai. Oh, God, that boy. I… I love him!"

It was almost too much for her to bear. Even though Senpai was multiple floors away and far from plain view, she was feeling emotion. Real, honest-to-goodness emotion. Her vision began to blur, and she shut her eyes.

"Senpai..."

A figure slowly materialized on the near side of her eyelids. Taro Yamada looked into her eyes, a gentle blush on his face.

"I... I love you so much!"

Senpai was hers. She grabbed for him, wrapping her arms around him and pushing her lips against his. They felt more perfect than she could have ever imagined – so warm, so soft, exactly the feeling for which she so deeply hoped from the person she would spend the rest of her life with.

Then, from deep down inside, came a jolt of consciousness, of reality. This was just a fantasy. Senpai wasn't really there. That meant... the perfect, beautiful lips touching hers belonged to...

Ayano Aishi's eyes snapped open, and all at once she was filled with another emotion, one she had never felt before. Utter, abject horror. Directly in front of her line of vision were the shocked, wide eyes of Midori. She jumped backwards, clutching the knife tighter. _If this ever got out..._ As soon as Midori had outlived her usefulness, she really _was_ going to rip her apart.

She glared at the younger girl, hard. "I did not mean to do that," she growled. "The first thing you can do for me is _never_ mention this to anyone."

Midori nodded. A hundred questions and conflicting feelings were raging through her mind, but for the first time in her life she was too speechless to discuss them.

"Get me the mop and bucket," said Ayano. "I need to deal with the body." She turned to the side, returning to the scene of her crime. After a moment, Midori stepped away from the door, her heart rate having returned to at least a manageable speed. She inched toward the utility sink, her hands still shaking. The past moments replayed over and over in her mind. She briefly considered making a run for the door, but it could never work; the murderer would catch and destroy her for sure.

Her hand closed on the mop handle, two separate opinions fighting for precedence inside her. One part wanted to comply with the orders for the sake of survival; the other part wanted to club Ayano over the head with the mop and flee for the sake of survival.

No – three separate opinions. A tiny tingle in her lower abdomen was also telling her to cater to Ayano's every whim, not out of self-preservation but out of inexplicable respect. As much as she tried to hold these feelings back, they were still enough to push "complying" to the top of her priority list.

The body had seemed to vanish; the yandere had planned ahead and ensured there would be a dumpster down on the ground below. She would have to remember to close it soon, but that wouldn't be a problem as long as Green Hair didn't distract her from her duties. The scene wasn't as bloody as it could have been – an easy cleanup with enough water. Speaking of which, there was her servant now, with the mop and the bucket.

The empty bucket.

Ayano's less-bloody palm met her face. "Fill the bucket first," she deadpanned. "Do you think I'm going to dump air on the blood to clean it up?"

"Oh!" exclaimed Midori, glancing down at her oversight. "Sorry!"

The moments dragged on as she filled the bucket and struggled to carry it back. Ayano dipped the mop into the bucket and soaked up the blood from the floor. Soon, all that remained were the bright red stains on her uniform. And therein lay the real problem: she had no replacement.

"Well?" she asked. Midori was well known for offering unsolicited advice; perhaps she could be put to use. "What do I do about the blood?"

Her kouhai thought for a moment. "Why not just try to rinse it off with the water?" she suggested.

Ayano sighed. Like _that_ would make anyone less suspicious. "And what am I supposed to do with a soaking wet uniform? I don't even think it would all rinse out."

"Run for the locker room and tell people the sink broke?" asked Midori.

What a stupid suggestion.

And yet... there were no better options. Taking Midori's uniform crossed her mind, but that would come with its own set of problems that would need explaining. She mentally cursed herself for even considering the idea – mainly because it required visualizing Midori stripping off her sailor fuku. Worse, now the image of Midori's scantily-clad body was stuck in her mind. She felt dirty and unfaithful for it. Only her Senpai deserved that kind of fantasy.

She sighed. Trying to wash the blood off her own shirt was her only choice; it had to be done. The yandere grabbed her collar and pulled off the shirt of her sailor uniform, kneeling down to rinse it off in the water.

Midori, meanwhile, had frozen in place, her face burning scarlet. This should have been nothing special – she'd been to the bath house before. Yet there was something about seeing her senpai there now, half naked, that caught her eye. Maybe even turned her on a little. Finally, with a forced burst of will power, she averted her eyes, shaking the thoughts from her mind.


	3. Stupid, But Prepared

**And now for Chapter 3, right on schedule. Thanks for reviewing, AndiDuel!  
**

 **A good artist friend of mine will be providing some official cover art for this fanfic. Hopefully it will be ready in the next few days, but Chapter 4 will not be released until it's ready. Gotta make this story complete, after all.**

 _There_. The cleanup job wasn't perfect by any stretch, but at least most of the blood was gone. She pulled the shirt out of the bucket, and slipped it over her neck – and almost screamed. It was _cold_. Very, very cold. "Ever h-heard of using the _warm_ t-tap?" she shouted at Midori through her chattering teeth.

"Sorry, Aishi-senpai! I didn't think about that!"

The cold-blooded and now cold-skinned murderer grumbled. "Let me just show you how I feel," she said, chucking a fair percentage of the remaining water at Midori. The green-haired girl yelped as her body temperature plunged.

"That was m-mean..."

"Next time, don't freeze me to death. Lunch break is half over – we need to get going."

Ayano rinsed the mop, setting it aside the utility tub with the bucket. Then she and Midori made a run for the stairs, descending to the ground floor. Once outside, the killer threw some stray trash bags into the dumpster to help hide Kizana's cadaver, and shut the lid. Finally, the two girls ran for the locker room. The younger girl had some issues keeping up; Ayano grabbed her hand to make sure she would keep up the pace. Only her plans and goals were on her mind, but she couldn't help but notice her face was starting to feel warm for some reason.

"I have a couple extra uniforms," said Midori as they reached their lockers. "I guess you can use one."

Ayano got as far as opening her own locker when her mind registered and questioned this. "Wait, why do you have so many uniforms in your locker?"

"That's because I mess things up all the time!" she replied. "So I keep extra clothes in case mine get dirty or torn." It seemed she was well-prepared, even as stupid as she appeared to be. _That could be useful_ , Ayano observed, as she removed her wet shirt.

"My bra's wet too," she said. "I don't suppose you have extras of those?"

Midori shook her head. "Nope... sorry."

Apparently, she'd have to do without, and hope nobody would notice. She unhooked her wet undergarment and let it hit the floor. The green-haired girl's cheeks flared bright red as she swallowed hard and awkwardly removed her own. Ayano forced herself to look away. There was nothing interesting about that girl's body. There couldn't be.

Those uncomfortable tingles weren't the only sensations running through her own body, though. Her stomach was firing off FOOD_DEPLETED events and overrunning the buffer. _Right_. She'd been so busy committing cold-blooded murder that she'd forgotten to eat lunch. After finishing her clothing-related duties, she and Midori departed for the school's main building.

Ayano pulled a sandwich from her bag and proceeded to munch on it. Soon afterwards, Midori regained her vocal capabilities.

"So, um... Aishi-senpai... have I been helpful to you so far?"

Her senpai considered it for a moment, slowly ingesting the sandwich in the process. As irritating as the younger girl could be, she _had_ been useful, more so perhaps than anyone else she'd directly interacted with. "Your benefits have outweighed your annoyances," she finally admitted.

"Th-thank you!" To her recollection, it was one of the nicest comments anyone had made to her. She glanced down before speaking up again. "Also, I wondered... do you have any extra food? I think I might've forgotten my lunch at home again..."

This elicited another sigh from Ayano. "Have the rest of my sandwich," she said. "I won't have time to finish it anyway."

Midori's face brightened even more at this, and she happily took the sandwich. The two made their way back to the courtyard, where they were ignored for their own separate reasons. The darker-haired girl did not mind it, as it confirmed nobody had become suspicious of them yet. The lighter-haired girl did not mind it, as – well, she had a sandwich.

They didn't hear the name of the deceased uttered during lunch at all. So far, so good. In fact, it wasn't until students began standing up and filing back to their respective classrooms that a notice blared through the school's intercom system.

"All students, please keep an eye out for Kizana Sunobu, who has not been seen since the beginning of lunch. Thank you."

On the way back to classroom 2-1, Ayano spotted a very worried-looking Senpai. She didn't mind this; a little psychological damage never hurt anyone. She also passed Oka Ruto, looking even more paranoid than usual. Meanwhile, one of the delinquents brushed past her in the other direction looking absolutely gleeful – Aku Otoko, was he? Certainly suspicious to be in a mood like that when everyone else is scared. Perhaps he would make a good scapegoat.

But now wasn't the time to make these plans; it was time to go to class and avoid looking suspicious herself. To her dismay, the afternoon's class was mostly irrelevant to murder and deception. She did her best to blend in, all the while feeling conflicted emotions she hadn't been expecting. By the time the class was over, though, she had made up her mind. At that moment, she had no rivals. At long last, she could confess to Senpai.

As she made her way to the stairs, she passed Saki Miyu coming down from the third floor. Muscle memory kicked in, and she pulled out her phone and silently snapped a photo up the teal-haired girl's skirt. Perhaps it would come in handy if she needed anything from Info-chan to protect her future relationship.

 _Here_ , she wrote in the text message. _Have some Saki butt. Consider it prepayment in case I need anything in the future._

She was still in the process of descending the stairwell when a reply came through.

 _You sure you don't want something now? You still need a scapegoat, and I have some juicy information that might sway you._

Convenient. _Fine_ , replied Ayano. _It had better be worth it._

 _I've heard that one of the delinquents wants some schoolgirl action and plans on taking it by force. Tacking on some false charges of murder would be quite easy._

This was unexpected news. Ayano knew the delinquents were always up to no good, but she always assumed that outright rape was beyond their code of conduct. _Yeah, that was worth the payment_ , she agreed. _Who is it?_

 _Aku Otoko_ , came the mysterious redhead's reply. _Second floor supply closet, if that's relevant to anything._

She had to agree it was relevant indeed. A few moments of video footage would be plenty incriminating, and planting some false murder evidence would surely seal the deal. To top it off, she could even post it on adult video sharing sites and help fund her future life with Senpai via the advertising revenue. It was basically a win-win situation for everyone involved, except Aku who would go to prison, and the girl who would have her life ruined.

Speaking of which… _Yes, that helps me. For what it's worth, who's he looking at?_

 _The dumb little first-year, Midori Gurin._

Ayano's heart dropped into her stomach. She couldn't explain the strange feeling she got from this news. Anyone else's innocence would be entirely expendable, but now she couldn't hold back a strong resolve to protect Midori. Was it the way she obediently helped clean up the murder scene? The way she offered her a new uniform so she could attain her goals unnoticed? She couldn't explain it, but one thing was for sure – she was _not_ going to let her kouhai get hurt.

 _Change of plans_ , she wrote. _Drop me a spare uniform. Things are about to get bloody._

 _You just spent your panty shot on my information_ , wrote back Info-chan.

 _Put it on my tab. Gotta go._

Ayano had already reached the second floor, and now silently opened the supply closet door. Info-chan's info had been correct, it seemed. Aku Otoko was already there, one hand over a terrified Midori's mouth and one hand pulling off her pantsu while she desperately tried to stop him.

Neither of them noticed the yandere in the half-darkened room as the pervert pushed the girl onto a low table, turning her around to face him. "Now you're mine," he said with a horrible grin, grabbing Midori's thighs. A few seconds later, the room was filled with a bloodcurdling scream.


	4. May Contain Violence

**Final chapter! Sorry for the wait, faithful fans – I was waiting for the completion of the epic cover photo you see now. Seriously, click on it. Make the delay worth it! Big thanks to my friend Jake for providing it.  
**

 **Big thanks as well to all my reviewers, who seem to be awaiting this chapter with bated breath. This will be the last official chapter, although I might post a followup if anyone calls me out on missed details or anything seems left out.**

 _A few seconds later, the room was filled with a bloodcurdling scream._

It wasn't Midori screaming.

Aku fell to his knees, his legs paralyzed by the knife that Ayano had driven through his spine. She drew out the knife and pulled him around to face her. Begging for mercy, he tried feverishly to defend himself, but to no avail. Blood splattered every which way as the murderous schoolgirl impaled him repeatedly.

Once she was convinced that her victim was dead, she set down the knife. Though her heart was still racing, Midori slowly stood up, pulling her underwear back up in the process. "Th-thank you," she stammered.

"You're welcome," said Ayano. Proper manners were still a foreign concept, but it seemed appropriate. "There should be a spare uniform outside Info-chan's window. Get it for me, please. There would be no explaining all this blood."

Midori nodded. As much as she wanted a hug, she was still indebted to her senpai for saving her backside (and other parts of her body as well). She turned to the door, and pushed it open. Movement on the other side startled her a bit – and then she, and Ayano, realized who was standing there.

Taro Yamada. _Senpai_.

The girls weren't the only ones hit by realization. Taro did a double-take as the scene before him registered in his brain. A bloody knife on the floor next to the mutilated corpse of a classmate – laying at the feet of Ayano Aishi in a blood-soaked uniform.

He gasped, speechless. "You-" He struggled to find the right words. "You _killed him!_ You monster!"

"No!" cried Ayano, her heart about to break. "It's not what it looks like! He- he was the monster!"

"How can you say that?" Taro asked, his voice shaking. "Look at all the blood! The – _gulp_ – stab wounds. You murdered him!"

"I—I… I was trying to save-" Ayano glanced around. Midori had apparently sneaked out of the room. She'd be furious had she not been on the verge of tears.

"You weren't saving anyone!" Taro interrupted. "You were just… oh, _God..._ " He had just done the math, and the true realization hit him. "You killed them, didn't you!? Kizana, and Amai, and…" Tears formed in his eyes. "and _Osana_ … I will not rest until the whole school knows what you've done!" he sobbed.

It was over – Ayano knew it. Senpai could never love her now. The color flushed from her world; the room and the halls felt dark, gray, and lonelier than ever before. Well, there was a brief flash of green from outside the room, not that it mattered.

"How could you be so horrible!?" he continued, still too shocked to put his plan into action. As she fell to her knees, Ayano looked up at him. She wished only that he would stop talking, stop crushing her heart even more than he already had. And that's when she noticed someone else in the hall. Behind Taro, standing silently, was Midori – with the knife.

Her soft green eyes briefly met Ayano's, and she shrugged. Ayano knew she was about to make the hardest choice of her life – but she had to; her heart was broken and her mind had snapped. Worse, her Senpai's plans could only end with her rotting in prison, never to be happy again. With tears streaming from her eyes, she uttered three of the most powerful words she had ever spoken.

"Leave no witnesses."

Taro sensed something was very wrong. As his mind jumped back to the present reality, he realized someone was behind him, and whirled around. Before he could react, Midori Gurin rammed the knife into his chest. He collapsed to the floor, dead within seconds.

Midori pushed his body into the room, closed the door, and placed the fresh, clean uniform onto the shelf. Then she walked slowly to Ayano, still crying on the floor, and held out a hand for her. She took a long time even to try looking up, but eventually she took Midori's warm, soft hand, and pulled herself up.

Now wasn't the time for coherent thought and conversation. The heartbroken yandere buried her face in Midori's shoulder, holding her tightly. The younger girl returned her embrace, finally claiming the comforting she so needed after her own traumatizing event. The two of them remained standing together that way for a long time.

Eventually, Ayano mustered the mental strength to stand up straight and let go. "Thank you," she finally said. Silently, the girls collaborated on the ambitious project of cleaning up the double murder scene. The work couldn't keep Ayano's mind off her conflicted feelings, however. As she stuffed the bodies into trash bags, she considered how she could ever go on living without Senpai.

 _He could never love you after that_ , she thought. _Right? I feel so stupid. I did everything too fast._ She shook her head, wiping up a spot of blood from the wall. _Why did I ever think I had a chance? I really am a monster. No one would knowingly stay with someone like me._

She glanced up to check on their progress, and her eyes met Midori's. And suddenly, all the pieces fell into place.

"You're still here," she said.

"Well, yeah!" replied the green-haired girl. "We aren't done cleaning up yet!"

"No," said the older girl. "I mean… you're still here with me."

Midori tilted her head, unsure where this was going. "You still needed help, right?" she asked.

Ayano sighed. "What I mean is, even after all the things I've done, after the people you watched me _kill…_ you're still here. You didn't run away. You didn't tell anyone."

"Well, you told me not to! So I didn't."

The yandere set down her mop. "I never thought anyone could be _that_ faithful to me," she admitted. "I thought I would have to hide what I really am, so that Senpai could love me. I didn't think- I didn't think I could have a real friend."

Midori was stunned. Not only had her senpai already told her that she was more useful than annoying, she had just called her a friend. As long as she could remember, no one had respected her like that. Meanwhile, Ayano had made up her mind.

"Get the rest of the blood mopped up while I go get rid of the bodies," she said, pulling the corpses onto a hand cart. "Then please meet me out in the back – you know, by the sakura tree."

Midori nodded. "Okay!" she said, taking the mop. "I'll see ya there!"

Ten minutes later, Ayano stood by the tree under the pink blossoms, watching for Midori. Waiting for her to reach the tree seemed like an eternity, even with the younger girl running as fast as she could. Finally, she stopped next to her.

Ayano waited a moment to allow her to catch her breath. "I don't know how to say this," she began.

"Maybe you can find a script somewhere," Midori suggested.

Ayano let it slide. "I've never met anyone else who supported the way I live," she said. "I've always had to fake my emotions because I never felt them for real. And I always had to hide my crimes to avoid being caught. But you accepted me. I don't know why, but you accepted me."

Midori blushed a little. She still wasn't used to being treated so nicely by a peer. "I guess there was just something interesting about you," she said.

"I thought my life was over when I lost Senpai," Ayano continued. "But there's still meaning and color in my life… and I think it's coming from you."

"It must be green," Midori observed. "I wear a lot of that color!"

Ayano took her hand. "I think I can live without him," she declared. "I realize I don't need Senpai to make me happy. Midori..." She swallowed hard. "I think I'm in love with you."

The green-haired girl's cheeks burned a brighter red than ever before. "You- you like me? You like me like that?"

"Yes. I want you to be my girlfriend."

For a moment, Midori was silent, contemplating what it could mean for her life. Finally, she made her decision, charging forward and hugging her tight. "I love you too, Yandere-chan!"

 _Yandere-chan_. Clever. She had never thought of that before. She hugged Midori back, and once again they stood there for a long time, arms wrapped around each other. As the sakura petals fluttered through the air in the breeze, Ayano's lips met Midori's for the second time. And this time, she really meant it.


End file.
